Entertainment

Meet Afrobeat Artist and Multi-Instrumentalist Oriri Osayomore aka Oriri

Monday, April 11, 2022 at 2:42 PM by Oluwatobi Bolashodun

Birth Name: Oriri Osayomore

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Born: December 10, 1981

Also known as Oriri and Oririmusic

Origin: Benin City

Genres: Afrobeat Edo music, High Life

Occupation: Musician

Years active: 2005 to present

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Website: Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud

Oriri Osayomore was born on December, 10 1981, in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. He started music when he had access to the drums and keyboard instruments at his local neighborhood church, before joining his fathers’ band in 1997 as back up keyboardist. Oriri would spend years with his fathers’ band playing at social events all around Benin City and also recording several albums with the group.

Early Life and Education

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Oriri was born in St Philomena Hospital in Benin City. His mother Irene Okuojevbe Osayomore hails from Delta state in Nigeria and was a primary school teacher for over 30 years before retiring in 2018.

His father is pioneer Edo highlife musician Ambassador Osayomore Joseph. Oriri attended Army Command Nursery School and Ebenezer Primary School in GRA Benin. He briefly attended Egba Grammar Boarding School before transferring to Oba Ewuare Grammar School for the rest of his junior and senior secondary school education.

He studied Theater Arts for his Bachelor's degree at the University of Benin Ekewan Campus where he was the Director of Socials at the Student Union government. After completing his NYSC service in Lagos and working as a broadcast production executive with SO&U Advertising Agency. He pursued his Master’s degree in Radio and Television from Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas.

Career In Music

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Oriri frequently observed many of his fathers’ rehearsals and performances. This was his introduction to the process of music composition and studio recording. He began practicing the keyboard after returning from boarding school in 1993. He finally had an opportunity to develop his skills when he joined the choir at his local Pentecostal Church.

He was soon discovered by a member of his fathers’ Ulele Power Dance Band as skilled enough to play some of their music. He was swiftly recruited to be a backup keyboardist for the band. He made his debut performance with the band at the Nigerian Independence Day celebration of Benin Club in 1997 with his father proudly announcing to the audience that his son was on the keyboard.

Oriri spent the next five years as the frontman keyboardist for all social music engagement and studio recordings for the band. During this period, he continued to serve as music director at his local church and also began his foray into writing original music.

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Oriri left his fathers’ band in 2002, to study Theater Arts at the University of Benin. It was during his time at Ekewan campus that he started recording and performing original music at campus parties and events.

His popularity inspired him to visit Lagos with his friend, seeking a record label. After being introduced to Yinka Davies he had a brief stint as an artiste under Mr. Majek Odumi of former Jazzville Night Club at Onike in Yaba.

The same time Asa was being developed by Mr. Majek. Oriri and Asa played at the inaugural NLNG Price for Literature Award event in Lagos in 2003. Oriri used his pay from the show to pay for studio sessions at the now-defunct Veritas Studios in Yaba, where he self-produced “Sisi Eko”. The song, Sisi Eko would go on to receive national success and solidified Oriri’s name in the history books of Nigerian music.

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Riding upon his growing fame, Oriri ran for the office of the Director of Socials of the Student Union government where he gathered the support of a very large number of students. Using his guitar and his musical gift as his campaign tool, he would visit hostels and reading rooms all across Ugbowo campus of Uniben to serenade students studying and urged them to vote for him.

This strategy was masterminded by his friend Dr. Osaigbovo Eriamantoe and it produced historic election numbers of voters that won him the seat. After completing his tenure with the student union and graduating with his Bachelor's degree, Oriri spent a year in Benin featuring with a local Jazz band and playing shows for different promoters in the city.

Broadcast Production

Oriri proceeded to Lagos for his NYSC and joined SO&U advertising agency as a broadcast producer. He produced many national radio commercials for brands like Guinness, Globacom, Access bank, and Proctor and Gamble.

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Oriri has contributed music for several Nollywood movies and was nominated for Best Original soundtrack at the 2018 African Magic Viewers Choice Awards. The soundtrack was “fire in my bones” for the movie Trails of Idahosa by Stanlee Ohikhuare.

After completing his Master’s degree in Radio and Television from Arkansas State University, he slowly began his return to making and performing music. Upon moving to Los Angeles from Atlanta in 2015, Oriri formed the Soul House Crew Band and performed in several venues in the LA area.

Oriri has poured his passion into performing his trademark soul and Afro R n B on different stages and has several protégés following his Afro-centric style of singing.

In 2022, he made a remix of his fathers’ 1988 classic Idami. The intro of this song has been described as a fusion explosion with old American western-style guitar and flamenco music.

It starts off Amapiano high hats before running into an exciting trumpet line that sounds like it came straight out of Carlos Santana's brainiac moments!

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The song has received rave reviews and acceptance from Edo people living in and out of Africa. Oriri is currently riding the buzz from Idami 2.0 and currently preparing for a world tour.